


The Queen's Flight

by NinjaSpaz



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Feelings Realization, Hinata is the queen's rider, M/M, OiHina Week 2020: Part 2, Oikawa is a bronze rider, dragon mating ritual, dragon riders of pern au, sfw though i promise, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:35:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28419213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NinjaSpaz/pseuds/NinjaSpaz
Summary: With a flurry of golden wings, Karath leaps into the sky, faster than anything they’ve ever seen. In the next second, the six bronzes gave chase, the buffeting of their wings throwing dust and sand into the watching faces of the weyr-folk. Hinata was only minutely aware of them, his heart and soul aloft with his queen. Their wings—theirs, because he was of one mind and spirit with Karath—beat effortlessly as they climbed higher and higher. They were free.-Hinata just wants to see his people through the coming cold season. If only Oikawa would step up to take over from the current Weryleader, they could save their people together. But there is an order to things in weyr life, and the time for challenge will come sooner than Hinata realizes.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	The Queen's Flight

**Author's Note:**

> OiHina Week 2020 Part 2 Day 1: Fantasy
> 
> When trying to decide on a fantasy au for this prompt, I just scanned my bookshelf wondering what books/characters I could transport these boys into and when my eyes fell upon _Dragonflight_ by Anne McCafferey, I knew I wanted to write a dragon riders au. Initially I thought Oikawa would be the queen's rider (golden dragon, royalty association) but Hinata didn't quite fit the role for the love interest. He did, however, fit perfectly as the female lead (ambitious, cunning, unwaveringly optimistic, constantly surprising people) while Oikawa fell into the leadership role just as well. I decided to rework the scene of the queen dragon's maiden flight (and therefore, the union of the riders as well) so here we go!

Hinata scowls as he watches Iwaizumi pace the stone floor of the chamber. He was angry, and Hinata could allow him his grievance if he wasn’t feeling justified in his own right. “I don’t see what the big deal is,” he says, arms gripped tightly around his waist.

Iwaizumi halts his circuitous strides and turns his glower on the young rider. Inwardly, Hinata scoffs at that term. He wasn’t being taught to fly like all the others and it chafed. “The big deal,” Iwaizumi grits his teeth, “is that you acted on your own instead of letting us handle it.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Hinata turns his gaze towards the larger sleeping chamber where his beloved golden queen dragon lay drowsing.

“So Kageyama is out raiding the holds of his own volition, not because the Weyrwo- Weyrman put the idea in his head?” He trips over the title. A queen always Impressed upon a young girl who then became Weyrwoman, but Karath had chosen Hinata.

“At least he’s doing something,” Hinata hisses. “The holds do not give us proper tribute, and Mizoguchi sits back and lets them sleight us!” He rounds on Iwaizumi. “Why doesn’t Oikawa do something about him? Miyagi Weyr will fall to ruin because of him!”

“Oikawa is out following Kageyama, trying to rein him in so he doesn’t go too far. He’s too young, Hinata, he has no restraint.” Iwaizumi runs a hand through his hair in exasperation. “We were already doing it anyway, and now we’ve had to cut back.”

Hinata would not be placated. “Well no one _tells_ me anything, Iwaizumi. By the Egg, I have spent hours memorizing the Teaching Ballads and Disaster Sagas and Laws to learn my duty but no one will enlighten me to what’s happening _now_. I look around and see our stores dwindling, evidence of the Holds lack of traditional tithing, and I am somehow supposed to see us through the Cold while our Weyrleader does nothing? What is Oikawa waiting for?”

He should have been Weyrleader, in Hinata’s opinion, much as the tall brunette aggravated him. It had been Oikawa who had brought Hinata from Karasuno Hold during the Search. He had been the least surprised when the newly hatched queen Impressed on Hinata. Oikawa’s mind was far better suited to deal with the crises piling up in their Weyr, so why did he continue to allow Mizoguchi to drive them further into ruin?

“You’re smart enough to figure that out, Hinata,” Iwaizumi laughs drily. “Karath grows larger every day.”

Hinata smiles softly. She is larger than most of the bronzes already. Practically full-grown. The smile falters. “She will rise to mate soon. That’s what he’s waiting for.”

The brown rider nods. “And when she does, the bronzes will fly her. The rider who claims her will become Weyrleader.”

Hinata suppresses a shudder. He would never let Mizoguchi’s Irihath fly his beloved. He would take her _between_ before allowing that man to remain at the head of the council. He glances towards her sleeping chamber once again. How long?

The answer comes in a clamor of footsteps and crowing of dragons outside. Mizoguchi enters the queen’s weyr with the other bronze riders in tow. Shirabu, Koganegawa, Sugawara spread out to either side of the Weyrleader in a semicircle in front of Hinata.

Iwaizumi steps between them. “Irihath is blooding his kill?”

“Dath and Semith, too!” Koganegawa blurts out, his eyes wide with excitement. Hinata racks his brain for the significance of that phrase as he watches the bronze riders eye Karath with a newfound intensity.

“Call Oikawa and Kageyama back,” Iwaizumi says, low and insistent, with more authority than a brown rider ought address a bronze.

Mizoguchi leers. “No one knows where they are.”

“You don’t dare,” Sugawara gasps.

He did, Hinata realizes, and frantically reaches out to Hajeth and Akirath, praying they heard his call in time and thanking the first Egg he could speak with any dragon.

Karath’s slumber grew restless. She would rise soon. Mizoguchi was explaining what would happen when Karath awoke, and what Hinata must do, but Hinata wasn’t listening to him. He watches the entrance to the cavern as Oikawa strolls in, Kageyama hot on his heels. He’s never been so relieved to see the older man.

“Hajeth informs me the bronzes are blooding their kills,” he croons, as if commenting on the weather and not a momentous occasion. “How kind of you to call us back for the spectacle.” Hinata watches with satisfaction as Mizoguchi’s cheek twitches with the strain of clenching his jaw, his pale eyes darting around the room to ascertain which of the riders had defied him to call his biggest threat back.

Karath chooses that instant to rouse, her large rainbow eyes whirling with sudden alertness as her mind flashes with hunger. Hinata swallows his apprehension as he realizes Oikawa and Kageyama had returned in the nick of time. He rushes to his beloved’s side to soothe her, but she has no interest in being soothed. She scrambles to the ledge, hissing at the bronzes who hover nearby. She is starving and they will not interfere with her feeding.

Distantly, Hinata is aware of Iwaizumi lifting him onto Josath’s neck to carry him down to the feeding grounds. “You have to control her,” his voice rasps harshly in Hinata’s ear.

Karath had plucked a buck from the herd and dropped it, preparing to dive upon the limp carcass. Hinata forces his will over the enraged queen, and she screams her indignation at the command. Petulantly, she sucks the carcass dry instead of devouring the flesh she desires.

“Hold her,” Oikawa says at his side. Hinata hadn’t realized they were all standing together again, feet firmly on the ground. He had nearly forgotten all about the weyrman in his fascination with Karath’s frenzied feeding.

The other dragons assemble around the Bowl, wings furling and unfurling with anticipation as they watch her seize another kill. Again, Hinata orders her to blood it only, if she wants to fly so badly she mustn’t eat. Still, she thrashes rebellion before obeying. By her third kill, she stops resisting Hinata’s authority, instinct finally flooding through her veins now that her fury had subsided.

The urge to fly as far and fast from these tiny wingless ones, far ahead of the rutting bronzes. They would never catch her. After she bloods her fourth kill, her golden skin begins to glow. Hinata’s breath catches in his throat at the sight of her radiance, at the force of her thoughts in his head. It’s coming, he realizes. She’s going to fly.

With a flurry of golden wings, Karath leaps into the sky, faster than anything they’ve ever seen. In the next second, the six bronzes gave chase, the buffeting of their wings throwing dust and sand into the watching faces of the weyr-folk. Hinata was only minutely aware of them, his heart and soul aloft with his queen. Their wings—theirs, because he was of one mind and spirit with Karath—beat effortlessly as they climbed higher and higher. They were free.

The elation at finally stretching their wings to fly is overtaken by a sudden need, a desire that thrums in their blood as they sense the bronze males pursuing her. They dared to try and conquer her? They were insignificant. She shrills taunts at them as she folds her wings and plummets past them. She gleefully darts around them, above them, through them, taunting and flirting and never letting them get too close. Dath and Murath fall out. Semith follows soon after.

The remaining three keep up their pursuit and she considers them. She would never fly with Irihath, but Akirath? He was a fine young beast. Worthy of her splendor? Perhaps. She turns to slide between him and Hajeth, but as she does, the older bronze dragon drops to her side, their wings tangling as his neck entwines with hers.

They fall.

Hinata gasps, momentarily disoriented to find himself back in his weyr, flailing to grasp any sort of support. His hands land on the firm arms of Oikawa. “Stay with her,” his voice grates in Hinata’s ear. He barely registers the contact of their skin as he shakes his head, confused, overwhelmed. Everything burns. His body, his soul, his mind. “Bring her back,” Oikawa urges more insistently.

“How?” He pants. Oikawa is so close. His eyes wild and dark and intense.

“Think with her. Do not let her go _between_.”

Hinata shudders at the thought of losing his beloved partner to that void of nothing, and frantically seeks her mind again. Karath is still locked wing to wing with Hajeth.

Their mating passion floods Hinata’s senses. With a longing cry, he clings to Oikawa. The weyrman holds him steady against his body, firm and solid, his hands caging Hinata’s face as their lips collide in a bruising kiss. As their dragons dance in the air, they lose themselves in one another. Oikawa tastes like victory and Hinata keens with pleasure as he realizes they’ve succeeded. Mizoguchi would no longer be in control. Oikawa and Hinata can save Miyagi Weyr together as Weryleader and Weyrman.

**Author's Note:**

> One thing I always found interesting in the Pern universe was how the only female riders were those of the golden queens, but the queens weren't the only female dragons. So, hypothetically, a horny green or blue dragon might get it on with another (they were infertile so it didn't really matter from the hierarchical standpoint) and given the psychic/emotional connection to their riders the implications were very much that dragon riders are hella gay.
> 
> Anyway.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this! Please hit that kudos button, drop a comment, [tweet](https://twitter.com/anininjaspaz) at me, what have you. Maybe find the book at your local library and set off on a fantastical journey like I did when I was 13! I have a few more OiHina thread fics on my twitter to convert over here so be on the lookout for those in the next few days. Hopefully I'll have new content for you shortly after the new year!


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